29 Jun 2017

Batswana and Africa as a whole should be proud to have had within their midst a leader of the statue of Sir Ketumile Masire, who was an outstanding and exemplary leader, former South African president, Mr Thabo Mbeki has said.

Presenting his tribute during Sir Ketumile’s state funeral in Kanye on June 29, Mr Mbeki described Sir Ketumile as a ‘beautiful human being’ who dedicated his life to being of service to the people of Botswana and the broader African continent.

“Even though he has departed the world of the living, we will still walk tall throughout the world because, as Africans, we can proclaim to all humanity that from this small acre of Africa was born a son, Ketumile Masire, whose quality of leadership made us proud to call ourselves African,” Mr Mbeki said.

Also, Mr Mbeki said he believes Sir Ketumile had presented a yardstick of what quality leadership is through his immense contribution to Botswana’s development during his three decade long service in the country’s national leadership.

“As all of us know, he served in the presidency of the Republic of Botswana as vice president and president for just over three decades, from 1966 to 1998. This was a critical period for the development of Botswana.  Sir Ketumile was an exemplary statesman who has set benchmarks which define the essence of exemplary leadership,” Mr Mbeki said.

He explained the various roles Sir Ketumile played in Botswana and the broader African continent, saying that Sir Ketumile had left an impressive legacy for the continent.

“Sir Ketumile will be remembered as one of the principal architects of the democratic Botswana which has extricated itself from the curse of being one of the poorest countries in the world, a Botswana of which all of us are proud,” Mr Mbeki said.

He further said that Sir Ketumile was one of the continental leaders who helped build SADC while serving courageously as one of the leaders of the Frontline States; and was one of the ontinental leaders who served courageously as a Member of the Frontline States and an African renaissance co-architect who helped the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) overcome conflict.

Mr Mbeki also paid tribute to the role Botswana played in the struggle for liberation of sister Southern African states in particular South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe.  

He expressed gratitude towards various individual Batswana for their contribution, citing Messrs Fish Keitseng, Motsamai Mpho, Michael Dingake, Lawrence Lekalake and Koos Segola.

“It remains true that the full story about the invaluable contribution of Botswana to the victory of the struggle against apartheid tyranny and the other liberation struggles in our region has not as yet been told. I am certain that I speak for all the peoples of Southern Africa when I pay a heartfelt tribute to Sir Ketumile for the central role he and his colleagues played in ensuring that this Republic and its people remained steadfast in their principled support for the total liberation of Africa,” Mr Mbeki said. ENDS